


Burn Bright

by FutureThorn



Series: The Life Of Blue [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Angst, BAMF Lance (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by The Hunger Games, King Lance - Freeform, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Leadership, M/M, Marriage, Multi, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Prisoner Rebellion, Queen Matt, Rebellion, Resistance, Resistance Leader Lance, Royalty, Space Husbands, Symbol of the Rebellion, fight to the death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-06-27 05:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15678570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FutureThorn/pseuds/FutureThorn
Summary: Lance survived his injuries, but must now face another difficult task: surviving the Galra prison system and arena. Thankfully, he won't have to do it alone as he finds there are plenty of people ready to fight back, including the very recognizable face of Matthew Holt.





	1. Waking Up to Ash and Dust

**Author's Note:**

> Alright people! I'm back! Note that there will be a wait between chapters that's a bit larger than previously. This fic has been kicking my butt and I only have so much of it done for now. Sadly, this means I will be taking a little longer to get the chapters out, but I refuse to trade quality for speed. Thankfully, I do know what direction I want it to go in and have outlined the majority, I just need to actually write the words now.
> 
> That being said, I hope you really enjoy Burn Bright! It's going to be a fun one.
> 
> Still don't own VLD.

The first thing that Lance registered upon waking up was the pain. It screamed throughout his body but Lance refused to so much as whimper until he could figure out where he was. Pushing the feeling to the back of his mind, Lance grit his teeth and took a breath to prepare himself for whatever situation he was about to find himself in. He cracked open one of his eyes just enough to see--but not enough to be seen--and scanned his whereabouts. He last remembered passing out in the hall of a castle he had been defending, but this room looked more like a cell.

_A cell._ _Crap._

He knew things would be bad, but this was beyond what he had imagined. He’d been captured, and from the looks of the prisoner garb that was worn by those crowded into the next cell over, by the Galra no less.

If he had been captured, then it was likely that he’d be here for a while. Voltron wouldn’t be able to get him back very quickly. Lance realized that it was entirely likely that Allura would end up piloting Blue for a while in his absence.  Voltron was down a paladin, sure, but Blue was down a pilot. Lance focused on his bond with Blue and sent a small sliver of reassurance through it. Immediately, a faint response came from his lion, one of elation but worry. Lance released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, they  _ were _ looking for him.

Finding no reason to put off the inevitable after contacting his lion, Lance ignored his screaming limbs and pulled himself to a wall, managing to maneuver his body into a seated position. Leaning against the construct for support as he calmed his breathing, Lance took the time to think through his situation. He was alone and without his armor and bayard. There seemed to be no immediate means of escape from the cell.

The blue paladin turned his attention to the neighboring cells as he could see into the many caged rooms, each with far too many prisoners. Realizing the overcrowding problem, Lance gulped. He was the only prisoner in his cell. Special treatment by the Galra could only mean special interest and horrors to come.

“So the blue paladin has awoken after seven quintants of sleep,” a voice came from outside the cell. A guard sneered as Lance met his eyes, defiance burning bright even across the dimly lit cell. “Enjoy these moments, paladin. You’ll be fighting soon enough.”

_ Fighting? _ It only takes a few moments for Lance to begin to process the meaning of that statement. When he does, his facial expression slowly drains into one of horror, his inability to keep the emotion from his face only serving to make the guard laugh. Lance looked down at his lap as the terror-ridden thoughts went through his head. All the human could focus on was the image of a broken Shiro, his hero from the Garrison.  That strong pilot had been subjected to fighting for Galran amusement and had come out of the experience so very different than the man Lance had first met all those years ago. Now, it would be Lance’s turn.  _ They’re going to put me in the arena. I’m going to have to fight. _

The guard smirked and spoke again, “So much for a legendary Paladin of Voltron. You’re nothing but a weak little  _ flast _ .”

_ Weak. _ The word played over and over again in Lance’s head. Wasn’t that what was always assumed of him? He wasn’t the strongest paladin, nor the smartest, nor the kindest, he knew that. But that didn’t mean he was nothing at all. He was a Paladin of Voltron, for goodness sakes! He was the Blue Paladin and without him, they wouldn’t have even gotten into space.

Lance clenched his teeth and glared down at his body, filled with injuries as it was. The rest of his body seemed to be just as stubborn, his fists clenching against the dirt floor of his cell as his knee drew in towards his chest as though he were readying himself to spring to his feet. Lance shuddered with a quiet fury that he didn’t often feel. He would not allow this random Galra foot soldier to be right. He refused.

He had come too far to simply give up now.

At that thought, a small grin grew on Lance’s face, laughter making its way through his lips. Lance’s gaze came back up to stare at the guard, the sight of this injured prisoner’s laughter shocking both the guard and other prisoners.

“Thank you,” Lance rasped out, his voice hoarse from the lack of use during his time unconscious. He continued quickly, not wanting to lose his momentum or be interrupted. “You’ve just given me a reason to fight. You’re wrong. I’m not as weak as you think. I  _ will _ fight. And I  _ will _ protect the ones who can’t.”

The Galra guard stepped back, completely taken aback by the response. This prisoner, this  _ human _ , refused to give in or back down, even when everything in the world was against him.

In contrast, the other prisoners seemed to lean forward, as though drawn in by the humans words as insects were to light. The prisoners had heard many a declaration such as this before, but never had one given them so much hope. Hope that freedom was in sight. Perhaps… perhaps this “paladin” would be the one to free them.

Regaining his composure, the Galran scoffed and turned his head, scowling at the other prisoners. This paladin was unusual and that scared him. He had come down to the cell expecting to be able to insult and intimidate a cowering and broken prisoner. There was no cowering in the way the blue one sat. Nor was there a broken look in his eyes, as the Galra saw in many other prisoners. Instead, the human creature seemed to have a spirit that was yet unbroken and an intensity that spoke of a determination to survive. Then again, it was rumored that all the Paladins of Voltron were the same species as the Champion. If that were indeed the case, then the reaction was truly not as much of a surprise as the guard had originally thought.

The Champion had been different from any other prisoner the guard had ever come across. He hardly faltered in a fight when injured, the lack of proper nutrition barely seemed to affect him, even the sleep deprivation methods had failed to cause his downfall when the Galra officials called for it. He had become too popular for too long and he had to be terminated, but nothing they threw at him was enough to take him down. If such a powerful creature was from the same species as this prisoner, the guard could only speculate on what the future would bring.

Looking at the strange prisoner once more, the guard spit his next words before leaving the cell block. “Then you will fight. And you will die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I have used a bit of "alien slang" in this fic, if people are interested, I would gladly tack on any definitions they might want/need to the end notes of future chapters.
> 
> As you probably noticed, I titled this chapter using a lyric from Imagine Dragons' song, Radioactive. Please let me know what you think of my naming chapters like this. I would use lyrics from all sorts of Imagine Dragons' songs, but I would do my best to make sure they fit the chapter.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!


	2. They Won't See Me Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance connects with the prisoners around him and learns more about where he is.
> 
> Still don't own VLD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if the once a week chapter update schedule will be a feasible thing, but at least you got one this week!
> 
> I hope you all really enjoy this chapter! Let me know!

After the guard left, Lance sat in silence, allowing his head to bow down in exhaustion. With nothing immediate to direct his energy toward, the determination he had channeled earlier seemed to die down to embers instead of the bonfire it had been.

Rustling in the cells around him, the other prisoners began whispering to each other, their languages taking a moment before translating in Lance’s mind. His connection with Blue, though weaker due to distance and injury, was still active enough to do this. He could only hope that the connection would hold through his imprisonment, though he doubted it. Lance could already feel the connection straining as it translated the voices around him in his head.

“Do you think--”

“Is he really--”

“--Paladin--”

“--Voltron--”

“Could he really?”

“He looks-”

“--Champion--”

The voices all seemed to overlap, but Lance was able to at least understand a few words and piece together the meanings of what was being said across the cell block. Being part of a large family had some uses, he supposed. Understanding people when they talked over each other just happened to be one of them. It still took him a little longer to fully understand what questions were being thrown around due to the slight lag in translation from Blue and the slight headache that remained from his injuries.

Raising his head, an action that immediately quiets the chatter, Lance gave a small smile to his fellow prisoners through the metal bars of their cage-like cells. In a soft voice, he asked: “You want to know if I am really a Paladin of Voltron and if I know the Champion, right?”

The prisoners traded glances, as though nervous to respond to him. As though there would be consequences. Finally, one of the larger aliens from the cell next to Lance’s nodded once to their cellmates and stepped forward. A melodic voice came from the lips of the large pink extraterrestrial, “Yes, we wish to know. Is it true?”

“It is,” Lance confirmed, “I pilot the Blue Lion.”

“Then Voltron is not just a myth? There is a way to beat Zarkon?” one of the smaller aliens piped up, their voice chipper in a way that sounded almost childlike to Lance’s ears.

“Voltron is as real as we are. And Zarkon is going down. It’s only a matter of time.” Lance smiled as the expression on the childish alien turned into one of glee at the prospect. The small alien bounced around the cell and rubbed up against some of the other prisoners in elation. The action reminded Lance slightly of his niece and nephew back on Earth, a thought which had him pause for a moment. Tearing himself from his thoughts so he could answer the other question, Lance continued to speak. “As for the Champion, I know him. His name’s Shiro and he’s the Black Paladin. Our leader.”

“So he did escape!”

“And he is a part of Voltron!”

“He’s fighting the Galra!”

“They will come to save us!”

“He leads the fight!”

Chatter once more gained in intensity at the confirmation of Shiro’s wellbeing. The excitement was a burst of warmth in the cold of the dark cell block. It was as though the prisoners had been given life and the vibrancy of their emotions was beautiful for Lance to see. After a few moments, the larger alien from earlier motioned for quiet and spoke once more. 

“Then there is truly hope for us, Blue Paladin?”

“There is always hope. Always. We  _ will _ defeat the Galra. There’s no question. And please, call me Lance. I’m not the blue paladin here, the Princess is going to have to pilot her while I’m gone.” he smiled kindly in an attempt to put the other prisoners even further at ease. Seeing the shoulders of the pink alien relax, Lance continued to facilitate conversation with the apparent leader of the neighboring cell, “Is there a name I could call you?”

“I am Xyma. And while I will call you Lance, know that you are still a Paladin and symbol of hope to us.”

“Thank you Xyma, that means a lot to me. What pronouns would you prefer?” Over the years that he had been travelling in space, Lance had learned that to assume the pronouns of another sentient life form didn’t always go over well. Not only that, but asking a person for their pronouns was a form of respect in many alien cultures.

“I prefer feminine pronouns, Lance. Your own?”

“Masculine pronouns please.” Lance hesitated before continuing to speak, afraid that he would offend his fellow prisoners. His gaze slowly moved across the rest of the cell block. There had to be at least another fifteen cell blocks and each dirty cage was filled with aliens who were staring at him, each face holding a type of hope that had likely not been seen in the prison for quite some time. “Why are there so many of you in one cell? Is it like this everywhere? I mean, I can see most of the other cells are the same, but why?”

“There has been an overcrowding problem in the prison system for a while now. The problem seems to only get worse. We fear that the Galra may do something to cut down the number of prisoners soon.” The look on Xyma’s pink face was full of sorrow and fear as she admitted this possibility. The expression steeled Lance’s determination to take down the Galra once more.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them make you fight. Any of you. I’ll make sure that if they take anyone for something like that, they take me.”

Xyma regarded him with a strange expression before smiling at his honesty and drive, “Then we will follow your lead, Blue Paladin Lance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from Tiptoe by Imagine Dragons.


	3. It's Time to Begin, Isn't It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galra had made it clear, they would break Lance. They even had the best way to do it. Make him fight for his life in the arena.
> 
> But no one knew that they had also given him his greatest trump card. A familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own VLD.

The next few days passed in a blur. In that time, Lance learned as much as he could about the prison that he was stuck in from his fellow prisoners. Xyma was a blessing in the human’s opinion. Everything would have been much more difficult to understand without her calming attitude and patience. Still, the imprisoned blue paladin managed to get a feel for the way life was in the prisons. Six cell blocks with twenty cells per block. With the overcrowding problem the Galra were seeing, there was currently anywhere from three to ten prisoners in each cell. Each block would eat together twice a day, but would never fight each other in the arena. Instead, prisoners from differing cell blocks would be pit against each other.

Lance found himself very grateful of this fact. He couldn’t imagine needing to fight the small Greshult child or the exhausted Kluthod teen in the cell with Xyma, who was a Pluylfib. Xyma had introduced some of her fellow prisoners to Lance fairly quickly after the guard’s threat.

Never before had Lance been so thankful for human healing speeds, which were already much faster than other alien species, as well as the increased healing factor from what remained of his connection with Blue. In the days since he woke up, Lance had noticed his wounds were far more healed than he thought. His broken arm, which had thankfully been splinted, would probably only need another two weeks at most to heal. Two of the knife wounds to his stomach were completely healed and the last was barely painful any longer. Even his dislocated shoulder was feeling fine.

Heads swiveled to the as the sound of Galra guards entered the cell block. Three pairs of soldiers came into view, causing prisoners to straighten. Lance stood in an attempt to appear strong, which seemed to comfort the aliens in the cells around him.

“Blue Paladin of Voltron, you are to be one of the participants in the next event. Feel honored, we’ve changed the rules just for you. There will be six participants from every block. Only one from each gets to leave alive,” one of the middle guards seemed smug as he spoke. This only made Lance’s temper rise, leaving him to sneer at the galrans in return. Of course, what better way to break a prisoner than to force them to kill those they were supposed to trust?

Another guard stepped forward, “Do we have any volunteers to participate with the paladin?”

After a few moments of no answer, a voice at the other end of the block answered, “I will fight.”

Another moment, “I shall as well.”

“Me, too,” came another unfamiliar voice.

A hand rose three cells over, “And I.”

“Then I shall be the last.”

Lance breathed out a sigh of relief, careful that the Galra didn’t notice. No one he had gotten close to would be fighting. He wouldn’t have to kill anyone he knew. A moment after this thought occurred, Lance froze. These aliens… they had volunteered for a death sentence. And they had likely done it for that exact reason. They were strangers to the Paladin of Voltron among them, a fellow prisoner who would, in all likelihood, be the one to survive.

The six of them were extracted from their cells and locked into a connected set of chains before being escorted up the stairs. From there they were led to room which held the other prisoners that would be fighting. Each prisoner was sent to a different platform, where they were locked in for transportation to the arena above. Lance glanced around, trying to figure out where others would be in relation to himself. He stopped doing this when the platform began to move towards the ceiling, signalling that he would soon be fighting.

When the platform stopped, however, Lance was confused at what he saw. The other prisoners were all directly in his line of sight in the circular arena. There was nothing obstructing them from view at all, which was the opposite of what the blue paladin had expected.

“Welcome!” came a voice on the loudspeaker, obviously addressing whatever audience was watching. “For today, we have changed the rules of the battle. Each of the six cell blocks has offered six fighters for this event. While you do not see it now, there will be an ever-changing maze in which the fighters will battle! Food and weapons have been provided throughout the maze and will be periodically restocked. Only one fighter from each block will walk away alive, which means alliances can be made with those from other blocks for this fight.”

Immediately after hearing this, Lance began to do the math in his head. Thirty six of them were in the arena, a maximum of six could leave. But no two people from the same block could trust each other, which could lead to less surviving. Not only that, but alliances could probably be broken up if the maze changed. It was literally a survival game in which everyone was an enemy.

All at once, a gong sounded, the prisoners were allowed off the platforms, and the maze started to rise from the floor and shift. The fighting had begun. Lance scanned the ground around him and lunged for the nearby backpack, food, and knife. He would have to make due with whatever he had inside the backpack and the few other items he had found before others could take the resources. Entering the maze, Lance resolved to actually look through his supplies when he was able to find a defensible position.

Not long after thinking this, Lance was attacked from behind. The blow was blunt force, which was good because otherwise the unsuspecting Lance could have sustained far worse injury than just shortness of breath and a bit of pain. Dropping everything but his knife, Lance spun around and pinned his attacker to the wall with one hand, holding his knife to the attacker’s throat with the other.

Finally getting a good look at his attacker, Lance’s arm went slack and his eyes widened. Confusion and hope colored his voice as a question left his lips,  “Matt Holt?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the song It's Time by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> As always, I'm interested in what you all have to say! This universe has expanded so much from what I originally thought it would be and I love it. I only hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.


	4. No Tomorrow Without a Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt Holt was not someone Lance had expected to find in the Galra prison. The paladins had been looking for the scientist since they had gotten into space, but a familiar face was especially welcome right now.
> 
> Now Lance just had to let Matt know what he'd missed in the past few years. And survive while doing so. Life or death situations were great for bonding with people, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own VLD.  
> I'm kinda impressed that I'm keeping up with my update schedule... I don't know how long that's gonna last, but it is for now.

The other human took advantage of Lance’s guard being down and reversed their positions, now pinning Lance to the wall and holding him there by twisting the younger’s arm behind his back.

“How do you know my name?” the man hissed, his question threatening but also containing the slightest touch of hope.

“I’m human. Part of Voltron. I know Shiro. And Pid--Katie, sorry. Both are a part of Voltron too,” Lance gasped out, trying to explain as much as he could so that Matt would let him go.

The older prisoner’s grip loosened, though not enough for Lance to break the hold, “Shiro and Pidge are both part of Voltron?”

“Yeah,” with that admission, Matt released Lance and stared at him calculatingly while the younger picked up his dropped supplies.

“Walk with me. You’re not from my block, so we’re safe. I’m from D. You?”

“Block B,” Lance replied, carefully stretching his limbs to reduce the ache that being held against the wall caused. He also took that time to assess his companion, taking in the slight staggering of Matt’s steps, though the older man covered it well. There must have been an old injury to the leg, though Lance knew better than to mention it. The scar on the man’s face also drew Lance’s attention, but that was far less serious and, if the latino was being honest, fairly attractive.

The two walked in silence for a few moments, making a few turns in the maze before Matt spoke again. “So, who are you? I know that you’re human and supposedly part of the biggest hope for the rebellion, but like, seriously man, what’s your name?”

“Oh,” the tanned man seemed a little shocked that he hadn’t already introduced himself, “Lance. I’m Lance McClain, Blue Paladin of Voltron.” He offered a hand in greeting, hoping that some familiar gestures from Earth would be a welcome change to constant alien culture.

Matt paused and raised an eyebrow, then shook the offered hand, “Huh, okay. So Voltron really is a thing then. And you’re all out in space fighting the Galra?”

“Yeah, I mean, I was before I got captured.”

“But they’re both alive? Shiro and Pidge? They’re okay?” Matt was about ready to fall to his knees praising every deity known to the universe if Lance could give him a positive answer. He had spent so long wondering what state Shiro and his father were in, let alone how his mother and sibling were doing back on Earth.  
“I mean, last I saw them, yeah. Shiro is dealing with some PTSD and Pidge following every possible lead to find you and your dad, but yeah, they’re alive.”

After a moment of silence, Matt turned to Lance, stopping the other man in his tracks, “Thank you.” The older man’s eyes had begun to water, though he refused to let the moisture touch his cheeks.

Lance smiled, “Hey, you knew them first. You deserve to know what’s going on.”

“You’re the first piece of good news I’ve gotten since the day the Kerberos mission went FUBAR, y’know? It means more than you think,” Matt confessed quietly.

“Well, expect more. Because I’m going to keep you alive. You deserve to see Shiro and Pidge again and they deserve to see you,” the words were said with such conviction that it took Matt a moment to even understand what they meant.

Matt stared at the Paladin of Voltron for a moment, “Are you suggesting we team up for this?”

“I’m saying we already have. I mean, we’ve walked and talked for multiple minutes without attacking each other,” Lance shrugged, hoping his joke would lighten the atmosphere slightly.

Matt chuckled, “Fair.”

It was clear that, in the maze, moments like this--content, relaxed, and lighthearted--would not last long. After all, barely a moment after their agreement, Lance was pushing Matt toward the ground and twisting his body before releasing his hold on his knife so that the blade would become a projectile. The small weapon passed another very similar one that would miss the two humans before embedding itself in the throat of the large attacking prisoner, snapping the weaker-than-human neck.

“Sorry about that,” Lance apologized, biting on his lip as he tried to avoid looking at the corpse. He had killed before, but seeing the corpse of the deceased up close wasn’t usually something he dealt with. As a sniper, he was usually fairly removed from his opponents. And when piloting Blue, he was even further from his enemies if they died.

“Trust me, I have no issue with you saving my life,” Matt reassured the other man, letting out an almost hysterical laugh at their situation. When he noticed Lance’s avoidance of the body, Matt grabbed the younger’s arm and steered him towards the corpse. Softly, he spoke again, “You’re going to have to get used to it eventually, especially in the prison arenas. Take your knife back.”

Lance closed his eyes for a moment, taking a shuddering breath as he did so, before staring directly at the alien he had killed. The four eyes weren’t closed and Lance could almost feel a mix of judgement and forgiveness from the glazed stare of the prisoner’s corpse. Reaching down, he pulled his blade from the body, releasing blood from the fatal wound. All the while, Matt’s hand stayed on Lance’s arm in a silent show of support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from Yesterday by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> As always, let me know how you're liking this!


	5. I've Been Waiting to Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two boys from Earth bond in their prison lightyears from their home planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own VLD!

The two humans fought their ways through two more attacks as they made progress through the maze-filled arena. After the first two hours had passed, the giant screen off to the side of the arena showed that only nineteen of the original thirty-six had survived . The pair had been keeping track of how the fighter count had been dropping and, reassured by the lack of recent deaths, sat down with their backs against opposite walls, weapons placed across laps for the quickest reaction time.

“How...how long has it been?” Matt asked, immediately clarifying, “Since I’ve been in here?I know it’s been a while, but you lose track of time when you’re a prisoner.” He feared the answer a bit. At times, his imprisonment seemed short--mere months since that mission on a moon at the edge of Earth’s solar system. But there were times that he imagined that a decade had passed, spent wasting away in a solitary cell between a few gathered minutes in the gladiator fights after he had returned from the work camps where he (mostly) recovered from his broken leg. The passage of time ran like a river, ebbing to a trickle or pouring through with the force of a speeder’s engine. His estimations were useless within the monotony of the Galran prison system.

Lance paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, then replied: “It was a year after Kerberos that Voltron was first formed, but it’s been about three years since then.”

“I-I’ve been gone fo-four years?” Matt stuttered. Sure, he had figured that quite a bit of time had gone by, but the confirmation was shocking. It had been  _ four years _ since he had seen his family,  _ four years _ since his mother and sibling had seen his face,  _ four years _ since he had lost his best friend and father to the prison system. How could time have passed so quickly?

“Yeah… it’s tough to think about. For everyone.” Lance sympathized, his tone just as sad as the upward twisting of his lips. Those years had been full of difficulties for the Paladins, but they had grown closer as they dealt with their struggles. Matt watched as Lance’s thoughts drifted to his teammates, and he wondered what kind of state they were in. His disappearance couldn’t have been easy on any of them. The legendary bond between Lion and Paladin was most likely unusable, being weakened by distance, Lance’s injuries, and the dense, signal-clogging material that made up the prison walls. He must be worried for the people who had become his family over the years, especially because a team that close would surely be blaming themselves for the loss of a teammate.

Lance was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of his companion, “Have you gone back, yet? Even just to visit?” Matt questioned, the hope obvious in his voice.

The younger man shook his head. “We can’t. Any time we visit a planet, so much attention is drawn to it. It’s too dangerous for us to return to Earth, we don’t want to draw any bad attention.Back home, they don’t even have an idea of what’s out here. The Garrison wouldn’t be prepared to defend themselves, much less the entire world.”

“It makes sense,” Matt nodded, though his disappointment was clear. He let their conversation lull for a few moments before breaking the silence, “You’ve been fighting them for three years now, right? What are your best weapons?”

“Huh? Well, Shiro usually uses his arm. It was replaced while he was fighting in the arena. It’s got some really cool functions…”

Not exactly what Matt had meant, but he couldn’t stop listening. Lance had such a fond tone, and it was as if all of their worries had melted away for just a few moments.

“ Then there’s Keith, he uses swords and knives. Basically, if it’s got a sharp end, he likes it. And he’s pretty good at it too. Hunk is great at larger attacks, which is why he uses a cannon. That thing is super heavy though, so he’s really strong to be able to carry it around all the time. Pidge is a little mastermind in the field, always jumping around and taking out enemies. They have these energy blade things that they can use as grappling hooks. It’s really cool to watch them do that against the Galra.” Lance responded, smiling as talked about his teammates.

Matt smiled as though he had just gotten the punch line to a really good joke, “They sound pretty awesome, but I was actually asking about you.”

“Oh,” Lance blinked, a little caught off guard that his companion had been asking about him in particular, “ranged weapons are my specialty, mostly guns. The Galra took my bayard when they captured me, but I’m passable at most ranged weaponry. I’m not gonna get myself killed in close range though, I do know my way around a knife or sword in a pinch. What about you?”

Matt took a moment to contemplate his answer, “Generally midrange, like with a staff, but I’m not bad at long range either. Though, for me, that’s usually throwing my weapons, not shooting them.”

“In any case, I think our focus should be on what we need to find to survive. We probably should have checked this pack a while ago,” Lance held up the backpack he had been carrying, “So we should do that and take inventory of what we have and what we need to find.”

“Fair point. Let’s check it out,” the older man leaned up against a wall and watched over Lance’s shoulder as the paladin opened the backpack for the first time. A few things were immediately visible: a small yellow canteen, four standard Galra ration bars, and a blanket. When the canteen was checked, the two humans were happy to find water inside it. The ration bars would not be the best tasting thing, but Matt assured Lance that they would be plenty to keep them both fed for another two days if they were careful. The two were also pleased that when they unravelled the blanket, it ended up being large enough to cover them both if they squeezed. To their surprise, another item was wrapped within the blanket: an extra knife, identical to the one Lance already had. 

The Blue Paladin immediately handed the blade over to his companion, a sign of both extreme trust and protection. The older man now had the means to injure Lance more than before, but also a way to protect him. For any other prisoners, the action would have been extremely unwise, but the two humans were both determined to survive together. Now, they each had a tool to help them do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the song On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> I'd love to hear from everyone! Hope you're all enjoying this fic!


	6. You Made Me a Believer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt gets a chance to digest some of the things he's learned about the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own VLD.

It didn’t take long for Matt to realize just how exhausted his partner was, especially with the way that Lance’s eyelids dropped for a few moments before opening slowly, only for to drop again a few seconds later. Sure, the latino’s attention was completely focused, but Matt knew from experience that even the most alert and stubborn of people could only last for so long without resting.

“Lance,” Matt said the other man’s name with a sharper tone than he usually used, which drew the younger’s attention to him quickly. It became even more apparent as Matt looked at Lance’s face just how tired the paladin was. The man’s eyes were tired, yes, but they also held a note of panic that Matt recognized as the paranoia of an attack arriving the moment he tries to rest. Lance probably hadn’t slept in days. At that realization, the older prisoner placed his hand on the younger’s shoulder, noting the slight flinch as he did so. Smiling softly to reassure his companion, the scientist spoke, “Sleep, I’ll keep watch. Being tired won’t help us later. We can take shifts.”

Lance was silent for a few moments as he thought through Matt’s words. The man had a point, Lance hadn’t slept well, if at all, the previous few nights, which he knew was slowly but surely catching up to him. It was worse than the days that Allura would run the paladins ragged, because at least then Lance had somewhere safe to rest and relax when sleep wasn’t an option. Here in the prison, there was no true safe places--at least not for Lance. He was the single largest threat to the Galra in the prison, something that did not go unnoticed. That, of course, meant that his sleep had been light at best and even when trying to rest, he had been on high alert.  Even now, with someone to watch his back, it wasn’t safe as the maze was set to change every once and awhile. The Galra technology in the walls made the large stone slabs shift, cutting off possible exits and caging the prisoners closer together in an attempt to cause more fighting. Still, Lance figured it was about as safe as he was going to get, especially for the next few days.

Finally addressing his fellow human, Lance admitted, “You’re right. Don’t let me sleep more than four hours, though, you still need to sleep too and it’s not a good idea to stay in one place too long.”

Matt looked at him, nodding in approval, “Smart. But please try to actually sleep, Lance. Don’t just fake it.”

It takes a few more minutes of convincing to get Lance to actually lay down and try to fall asleep, which only ends up working when Matt rearranges their bodies so that Lance was leaning against him while also protected under Matt’s arm, not to mention the slightly more defensible corner that the maze currently included, which they had moved to. The smooth stone of the wall wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was sturdy enough to hold both Matt and Lance up.

Matt noticed that when the younger man finally felt safe, he was out like a light, which merely reinforced the realization that Lance didn’t feel safe and had accustomed himself to the conditions of war and constant danger. Of course, this did not comfort Matt, seeing as his companion couldn’t be more than twenty. If it had been three years since the Paladins of Voltron had left Earth, then Lance must have been fighting for that long too. War was nothing for teens to fight, especially without any prior training. And as far as Matt understood, it had been without a choice too, which just made the situation even worse.

“I wish none of this happened,” Matt whispered to his slumbering companion, careful to not wake the exhausted man. “I wish the Kerberos mission had gone exactly like we thought it would. We don’t deserve this. We should be free. Not fighting for our lives, or…. gosh, you don’t even fight just for that. You fight for everyone in the universe. That’s a lot of pressure. God, how do you cope? It’s so unfair.”

Finished speaking his thoughts for now, Matt tightened his arm around Lance, unwilling to be parted from the first human he had seen in years. It was as though this impossible person who fought for the lives of everyone in the universe was the physical incarnation of every hope and prayer that Matt had during his imprisonment. Matt had wished with every fiber of his being that someone would someday find him, even though he knew that it was highly unlikely. Still, the scientist prayed to a God he wasn’t even sure he believed in that he would see another human face in his lifetime. When he first heard of Voltron, it seemed almost too good to be true, but he hoped anyway. And now here Lance was, a human who was a Paladin of Voltron that had found Matt after all these years. If Lance could fight back against the Galra, then so could Matt. He would fight back, win, and someday, he’d be able to go home.

After--by Matt’s count--a little less than two hours had passed--the sound of footsteps ruined the sense of calm that had fallen over the humans. Matt tensed, the movement waking Lance from his slumber, the younger man having only gotten about an hour and a half of real rest. Both held their knives loosely in their hands,  a fashion that would allow for mobility of use as they rose to stand against the wall. The two men tensed further as the footsteps drew nearer, each step making the blood pound in their ears.

Four aliens came into view from around one of the walls, two of which were large and imposing, the other two small but obviously agile and armed with knives of their own, the blades longer than the ones the humans held. Each alien wore a bloodthirsty grin on their face. 

Dread pooled in Lance’s gut. This was going to turn into a bloodbath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from the song Believer by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Just a note that I am in the process of writing chapter seven right now, so I'm not a hundred percent sure if I'll be updating on Monday like usual.


	7. I Bet My Life On You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Lance find themselves outnumbered and with only each other to rely on. They'll have to put all their trust in each other to survive this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own VLD.
> 
> This chapter was a beast to write, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Fight scenes are not my strong suit, but I made it work. Gotta say though, writer's block is tough!
> 
> In any case, enjoy!

The other prisoners advanced with the smaller and more agile taking the lead, each step causing the two humans to fall further into survival mode. They were outnumbered, but Lance had survived worse odds before. Clutching his knife, the blue paladin sprang into action when the first attacker got too close. Charging forward and then ducking to the side and away from the opponent’s knife at the last second, Lance thrust his knife forward, pushing it through the flesh of one of the smaller opponents. When he noticed that the attack had caught the thin alien off guard, Lance flung his left arm out in an attempt to disarm. Thankfully, the longer knife was indeed knocked free and sent skidding across the ground toward Matt. Lance didn’t dare stop moving though, so he just kept running in the same forward progression, dragging the lithe enemy along with him. He only stopped when he had gotten past the other attackers and was all the way at the other wall. With the sheer force of the collision, Lance slammed the alien on his knife into the wall, multiple loud cracking sounds causing him to grimace. If that wasn’t a broken spine, then it was probably a bunch of other important bones.

Seeing what happened to their compatriot, the other small prisoner tried to flee, turning away so that they might avoid confronting Matt. It was useless in the end; however, as the giant of an alien behind them swung one of their arms out and crushed the fleeing prisoner’s head against the wall of the arena. The player count ticked down one. Dead.

The lumbering giant turned back toward Matt as their partner began to turn to face Lance, who was still trying to pull his knife from the alien he had taken out. They weren’t dead yet, but there was no way they would survive. Still, Lance didn’t seem to notice that the attention of the attackers had returned to him.

In a moment of inspiration, Matt charged the giant that was approaching him before dropping to the ground and sliding between their legs, dragging his blade against the muscle structure of the giant. Thankfully, the cut was deep enough to cause the attacker to fall forward, something that would take at least a little while to recover from.

It was at this point that Matt noticed something else: the maze was changing. The walls of the corridor that he and Lance had taken refuge in were being lowered to the ground, giving the fight more space to spread out. But the change in height meant he could use the walls, he could climb one. Seeing the wall nearest to the opponent that was attacking Lance get to a level that Matt could reach if he jumped, the scientist ran and leaped at the wall, landing solidly before rising to his feet and running across the stone structure.

Just as he saw the giant’s double elbowed arm come up to strike Lance, the older human gave a shout, “LANCE! MOVE!” Matt jumped off of the wall, the extra height giving him just enough advantage to sheath his long knife in the back of the attacker, right next to what would presumably be a spinal cord. Allowing the force of his jump and gravity to do their work, Matt rode the knife down to the base of the alien’s back, tearing through the flesh and organs that filled the opponent. Thankfully, Lance had managed to roll away from the smaller alien and out of the way of the falling corpse that Matt had just eviscerated. The more injured alien was not so lucky and was caught under the body of a prisoner roughly two or three times their size. The player count ticked down twice. Two more dead.

“Thanks for that,” Lance huffed, catching his breath at the near miss.

“Don’t mention it,” Matt laughed, the sound a little hysterical to his own ears. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the other giant--the one whose leg he had injured--had gotten back up again. “Lance, grab the other long knife.”

The blue paladin did as he was told without argument, taking the knife from the body of the prisoner who had tried to flee. After doing so, he returned to Matt’s side, both humans taking up a defensive stance in preparation for an attack that wouldn’t come. It took a moment, but Matt eventually noticed something very important: the giant opponent was favoring one of its legs, the same one that Matt had cut earlier. His knife must have injured that leg more than he thought.

“He can’t move forward to attack us, he’s favoring his left leg too much. We’re completely on the offensive this time,” he murmurs to his partner, a million ideas forming in his head. “If we can attack his left side, and get him off balance, we can use that to take him down.”

“So you just need a distraction, right?” Lance asked aloud, obviously thinking deeply. At Matt’s nod, the paladin ran forward without a second thought, placing all of his trust in the scientist’s plan.

Shocked, Matt simply stared for a moment as his companion shot forward and toward their opponent. Lance trusted him that much? After knowing him for such a short amount of time? Breaking out of his reverie, Matt grinned and focused on his plan. The timing had to be perfect, any faster or slower would throw off the entire attack. Matt watched as the paladin grew nearer to the other prisoner, he watched Lance’s feet and used the other human’s steps to figure the time it would take him to cover the distance. Readying his knife, Matt prepared himself to join Lance in combat, but held himself back.

_ Not yet. _

Running forward too early would put both Lance and Matt in danger together. Running too late would put Lance in danger without any backup. Neither was an option at this point. Matt had to get the timing right.

_ Not yet! _

Matt shifted slightly, reading his body for movement. He knew that he needed to be ready, Lance was relying on him. Lance  _ trusted _ him. Matt had to run--

_ Now! _

Matt moved forward just as Lance was closing in on the opponent. The younger human plunged his knife into the flesh of the giant’s left arm directly below the second elbow. This enraged the crippled prisoner, who then brought up his right arm, preparing a swing that would strike Lance clear off his arm and likely into the wall. As the extremely long limb hurdled towards Lance, Matt managed to launch himself onto the arm, planting his right foot under the second elbow of the extremity. Pushing off of his foot, Matt threw himself forward, his left foot landing between the giant’s two right elbows, stopping the momentum of the punch. From there, Matt leapt off of the arm, angling his body so that he could trust his knife into the throat of his opponent, piercing through the side of the neck and into the spinal cord, instantly killing the giant. The player count ticked down.

Matt took a deep breath and it out again, his body shuddering in response to the massive amounts of adrenaline running through his system. Every muscle was screaming, but as Matt ran a mental checklist, he realized he didn’t really have any true injuries. Looking over at Lance, he couldn’t see anything serious on the younger’s body either.

“We won,” the words came in a shocked whisper, the kind that surprised even Lance, though he was the one who said them. “It’s over, Matt. We won.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title to this chapter is a lyric from the Imagine Dragons' song I Bet My Life.
> 
> Hope you all liked the chapter!


	8. I'm Far From Good, It's True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Lance have survived, but now they have to deal with their own thoughts. They must also face what the future might bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own VLD.
> 
> A bit of a heart to heart in this one, but it also sets up some important things for the future!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

“We may have won against these four, but we need to move,” Matt notes. It wouldn’t be safe for them to stay in such an open area for long. The walls were beginning to move once more to allow for exits from the chamber that the last parts of the fight had taken place in, but the area wasn’t getting any smaller. It would be too hard to defend in the long run, so the better choice would be to move before that became an issue.

“Good point,” Lance agreed, finding the logic in the elder’s statement. The two made sure to collect all their weaponry, taking the two longer knives which had originally been owned by the lithe prisoners with them. Lance tried his best to not think about the corpses he was walking around, averting his gaze whenever possible. As he did so, his companion noticed his actions and knew that they would have to talk about it. This was not the first time that the reaction had come up, there must be some kind of reason.

Finally, the two were making their way through one of the passages into the rest of the maze once more. As he walked, Lance glanced up at the screen off to the side. Fifteen of thirty-six prisoners were still active in the arena, less than half of the original number. The paladin swallowed thickly, closing his eyes against the images of the corpses he had seen in his time in the arena-maze came to the forefront of his mind. The thoughts froze him in place, his feet refusing to move any further. A moment later, Lance’s eyes shot open as an arm fell over his shoulder. He turned just enough to see Matt at his side, worry in the scientist’s eyes.

“Do you want to talk while we move or once we find a place to stop?”  
“Waiting is probably best. That way we aren’t totally high on adrenaline,” Lance smiled, though the expression was slightly pained.

The two kept moving for a bit longer, perhaps a half hour, then found another corner that would suit their needs like the last one had. Defensible positioning was exceedingly important in the arena, making the corner a prime location for the two humans.

“How are you holding up?” the scientist asked, knowing already that the answer would be negative, but wanting to ask anyway. Showing verbal support and hearing someone actively want to know about how you were was something he had come to treasure in the prison cells over the years. He was sure that asking would at least allow Lance to deal with some of what was going on in his head, though Matt hoped the other would let him help, too.

Lance sighed, letting his shoulders drop down a bit before speaking, “Not well. Probably worse than you’d expect from a person who’s fighting a war, too.”

Matt’s eyebrows furrowed at the sharpshooter’s words, “That’s a completely different situation, Lance. It’s okay to feel off balance or even horrible in the arena.”

“I know! I just… I’m not a close range fighter. I’m either in Blue or I’m using my bayard, but I don’t get in close. I’ve never… never seen the bodies this close up before. And, knowing that I’m the one who killed them, that’s really hard for me, I guess. And I never expected it! But then I’m looking at this person’s face, but they’re dead, because of me! And Matt? I don’t know how I’m supposed to save the universe when I can’t even save these people.”

“Lance, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t be expected to save them, they already were lost to the bloodlust craze of the arena. That is not your fault.”

“I’m supposed to be able to help them,” the uncertainty in Lance’s voice practically shattered the elder prisoner’s heart. There was so much pressure on this one man’s shoulders that it seemed like even Lance had forgotten that it was okay to be human and imperfect or unsure at times.

“And you will. You’re going to win this and you’re going to save everyone in this goddamn prison that you can. And I’m going to help you,” Matt swore, his voice sounding more confident than it had been in years.

“You will?”

Matt tightened his grip on Lance’s shoulder in a show of physical support and emphasis. “Absolutely. You’re the hope for every person here, including me.”

Lance was silent for a moment, allowing himself to absorb Matt’s words. The Latino's thoughts shot back to the corpses they had left behind. Somehow, he didn’t think he had given them much hope. Still, Lance found peace in his companion’s words, allowing them to comfort him against the near constant barrage of negativity in his mind. Finally having come to accept that the other was here to stay, the paladin’s eyes welled with tears as he softly admitted to Matt that “I see their faces when I close my eyes sometimes. I can’t get their dead bodies out of my head. What kind of protector and hope does that make me?”

“A strong one,” Lance’s head shot up at the other human’s answer, their gazes connecting before Matt continued, “You don’t hide from your emotions or the reality of what is going on here. You let yourself feel, something that is your greatest strength. I can already tell. Because you reminded me how to feel. Before you got here, I was just living for the next meal or time to sleep, but now I’m thinking about the world outside for the first time in years. I’m thinking about being free.”

Lance smiled slowly, but the smile was genuine and Matt figured that was what counted, after all, he had just dropped a bombshell on the younger human. It was a lot of pressure to be the symbol of freedom for someone and even more so when you were that symbol for an entire prison system. The paladin looked up at his companion and declared: “Then we take down the Galra and give **everyone** back their freedom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of the chapter is from "Next to Me" by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!


	9. I Believe in Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Matt meet up with some people who could turn into some allies.
> 
> A little spark of life gets put back into Lance with the help of a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey~! We get some new characters now! I had some fun with the creation of both Falkek and Aikrie who will both be pretty constant characters for the rest of the fic.
> 
> Still don't own VLD.
> 
> Also, thank you so much for the 1000 hits! That's really exciting for me!

Matt and Lance continued to move and rest in alternating patterns, realizing that while it was best to stay on the move, they also needed to give themselves time to recharge. They were completely alone for a good six hours, seeing the prisoner count drop twice more during that time, before they found themselves in the company of other prisoners. Thankfully, these prisoners were of a far different kind than the ones the two humans had met up with earlier.

The taller of the two was a soft blue color, a color like the one Lance could remember his sister painting his nephew’s room with back on earth. The prisoner was scarred, the marks of battle criss crossing their skin--they were obviously an arena veteran. But there wasn’t anything confrontational in the way they stood, their humanoid body roughly the same size as Matt and Lance’s own, instead it was almost as though the blue prisoner was relieved to have come across the two humans.

On the tall blue prisoner’s back was a much smaller and seemingly younger prisoner. They were a bright and sunny yellow color. The smaller humanoid was resting, their arms around the neck of the blue prisoner who carried them in an attempt to stay balanced on their back. They looked young, not just because of their size, but also due to their wide eyes and clear skin, evidence that this was likely their first time in any type of arena fight.

Catching sight of the two humans for the first time, the blue prisoner paused and took a half step back, alerting the smaller one that they had company. The elder stared intensely with both pairs of pale and green eyes as though to assess the humans, but when the four-eyed gaze caught Lance’s face, shoulders sagged in relief. “You are the one that the Galra called “Blue Paladin”. I saw you when you first arrived. What blocks were you and your companion from?”

Lance was taken aback at being recognized, not remembering anything between the battle where he had been captured and waking up in a cell. It took him a moment to truly process the blue prisoner’s question, “Oh, uh, I’m from B. Matt is from block D.”

“Thank goodness. I am Falkek, an Anhir. On my back is Aikrie, a Fadhe. We are from blocks A and E,” Suddenly, both Lance and Matt could understand why Falkek was so relieved, they didn’t have to fight each other, “I hope that you would agree to team up with us as I would rather not make Aikrie fight more than she has to.”

Looking to his companion for a moment, Matt responded, “Of course we can team up. We would rather not fight if we don’t have to.”

“Falkek? Are they safe?” Aikrie, the small yellow child, asked her larger companion.

“I know not their names, child, but they are our allies. One of them is the Blue Paladin of Voltron.”

Aikrie’s eyes lit up in wonder, further reinforcing that the Fadhe was only a child, “Really? Which one?” The sun-colored child’s gaze flicked between the two humans, as though looking for some sign that would reveal which of them was the paladin. Of course, there was none, but it greatly amused the sharpshooter and scientist nonetheless. 

“I am,” Lance smiled at the small child, getting down on one knee in an attempt to appear less threatening, the same way he would with his niece or nephew,  “My name is Lance, it’s nice to meet you. My friend Matt and I are going to be teaming up with you and Falkek, okay?”

“What pronouns do you use, Lance?” Aikrie asked, the child’s yellow head tilting, allowing for pink fringe fall over the bright yellow face and red eyes.

Lance smiled at the child’s curiosity, it was a nice change of pace to interact with someone so innocent, “I use masculine pronouns, thank you for asking. What kind do you use?”

“Feminine, please! Your friend is pretty, Lance, do they use feminine pronouns like me?” Aikrie’s wide eyes blinked inquisitively as she stared at Matt. The scientist seemed quite pleased to be called “pretty” by the girl, standing just a little straighter.  
Lance laughed lightly at the Fadhe child’s logic and his companion’s reaction, “No, Matt uses masculine pronouns too.”

“Oh,” she pouted, thinking that over for a moment, “then I’m the only one who uses feminine ones. Even Falkek uses masculine pronouns.”

“That’s okay, though,” Lance says, smiling at the small girl, “You use different pronouns, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like you just as much.”

“You promise?” Aikrie asked, her red eyes narrowing slightly in a very childish attempt to discern Lance’s honesty.

“I promise,” Lance swore, his tone serious, as though this were the most important promise he had ever made in his life. Off to the side, Matt watched as his companion interacted with the small child, a smile growing on the scientist’s face as he saw just how comfortable Lance was with dealing with the girl.

Matt continued to watch his companion interact with the child, even as he was approached by Falkek.

The Anhir moving to stand next to the human scientist, taking a moment before asking: “You care for him, yes?”

Matt took in a breath before glancing over at the blue man, “It’s hard not to. He’s my only link to my planet and he’s my hope for the future He’s my second chance.

“Indeed,” Falkek agreed easily, acknowledging that Lance was all of the prisoners’ chance at regaining their freedom. Before the arrival of Lance, no one dared think of escaping the life of imprisonment they led. That defeated attitude had changed. Falkek and Matt then began to speak about rest and movement rotations, each doing their best to help plan for the uncertain future of the group as Lance entertained Airkrie. It was obvious, however, that the three adults felt much better about the future now that they had greater numbers. Things were looking up for the team of four. They would survive and spark a movement in the prison. They would have their freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the Imagine Dragons song Second Chances.  
> (This line is mostly in reference to Matt's belief that Lance is his second chance. He believes that he can still be free and do something important with his life if he has Lance by his side.)
> 
> I'm really enjoying this project, guys. I hope you are too. Let me know!


	10. I Guess It's Now or Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the arena battle nears and the Lance must step up to lead his companions.
> 
> The Blue Paladin of Voltron will not fall now.
> 
> He refuses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting to the end of the arena arc, which is amazing. I've always had trouble with multi-chapter fics, but this one has been going really well.
> 
> Don't own VLD.

The next two days passed virtually without incident, the group of four meandering about the maze and collecting what few supplies they came upon. The adults made sure to keep an eye on the prisoner count that was still projected off to the side of the arena. The number it displayed had fallen multiple times since the humans had first met Falkek and Aikrie, leaving only ten prisoners still living in the maze-arena. Six opponents to deal with so the four of them could survive.

Before they could deal with that, the group needed to find more supplies. Though they had been able to scavenge for some food, it wasn’t enough for four prisoners to survive off of. As a result, they had used all the other food they had kept with them as reserves, leaving them with nothing. If they couldn’t find food or get out of the maze soon, they would find themselves weakening until they were no match for the others in the arena.

“We need to get out of here. If we aren’t able to do that soon, then we need food. Water too, but we still have a little of that left, so food should be our number one priority right now,” Matt noted when the four stopped to rest, the topic coming up again when Aikrie voiced her own hunger.

Lance felt his stomach drop the next time he looked at the prisoner count. Seven. There were only seven left in the maze-arena. Three people had been killed off in a matter of moments. That meant there was likely another group of three out there that had enough skill to finish off three other prisoners quickly and as such, were likely headed towards their group next. The only positive that Lance could possibly think of was that they wouldn’t need to find more food, but that also meant they couldn’t put off the confrontation. They would need to prepare themselves quickly in order to be ready for the confrontation which would no doubt be occuring in the near future.

Directing the attention of the others toward the small screen, Lance vocalized his worries, making sure to emphasize that while the fighting would likely be over soon, it wouldn’t be an easy ending. As the four finished discussing the possibility of another fight happening soon--including Aikrie as she was likely going to be in just as much danger and need to fight for her life too--they noticed that the walls around them were shifting. The nearest walls were falling down, creating a room similar to the one where Matt and Lance had fought their attackers off a few days previous. There was one very obvious difference though, this room had an entrance, one that they could only assume was meant to be where their opponents arrived from.

Lance stared at the passage intently, “Do we wait for them or go through?”

“If we go through, we end up in their territory and they can pick us off as we get to their end of the passage,” Matt mentioned, not really answering the paladin’s question.

“True, but if we wait for them to come through, they might choose to wait us out. They might have more supplies than we do,” Lance mused as he thought about Matt’s words.

“However, there is the possibility that both parties will attempt to enter the passage at once, meeting in the middle. That would also be fairly dangerous for us,” Falkek added, bringing yet another possibility to the table.

The three thought deeply about the different possibilities and the choices that they would have to make, but were pulled out of their heads by Aikrie’s voice.

“I don’t think we need to move. I can hear them, they’re not really close yet but they’re coming,” she said, her eyes closed as she focused on her hearing ability. The Fadhe’s red eyes opened again after her observation was announced to the adults.

“I didn’t know you could do that, Aikrie. Thank you for warning us,” Lance smiled and praised as he patted the girl on the head.

“You’re welcome!” the child grinned up at the sharpshooter.

“We need to figure out how we want to deal with them, especially if they’re already on their way,” Matt notes, his brow furrowing as he thought about the coming attack.

Falkek nodded, “Perhaps we should surprise our opponents, throw them off their guard?”

Matt thought about the suggestion for a moment before saying, “That might work for the first, but it’ll take more than that to take down all three of them.”

“A good idea though, maybe we could defeat at least one of them before they even get the chance to attack us,” Lance countered, knowing that the less opponents they had to actually fight, the better chances they had of surviving.

The other two adults took a moment to think, but ultimately agreed that an ambush style attack to begin with would be a good idea. After a moment, Matt asked, “What about after that? What are we going to do after the surprise attacks are over?”

“Falkek, you’re fast, right? Are you fast enough to get in close for an attack and get away before being hit?”

“Indeed, I shall be able to do that,” the Anhir agreed, his perpetual calm never wavering.

“Then that’s what you’ll be doing. Matt, I need you to fight smart, okay? I can’t lose you, so you have to fight like you did last time. Find the weaknesses, then use them to take the opponents out. Let us know what weaknesses you find so we can use them to.”

“Got it, will do.”

“Aikrie, I know you want to help, but I really need you to stay out of the fights. You can help us by watching out for any sneak attacks. We need you to warn us to get out of the way if something is going to hurt us, okay?”

“I can do that,” the little girl promised, her pink hair shaking as she nodded her head.

Knowing what their plan of attack was, the group of four moved to the sides of the entrance, their positioning just far enough that they wouldn’t be seen from the passage, but close enough for the adults to ambush the first attacker. They readied themselves for what was sure to be a bloody encounter.

Now, they just had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the song Trouble by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> Next few chapters are planned, just not written. They're promising to be interesting and exciting.
> 
> Let me know how you're liking this!


	11. I Was Always Up for Making Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the arena draws nearer. Lance decides to make a statement that the Galra wont be forgetting any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was going to be a normal length chapter, but that didn't end up happening. This chapter is almost double the length that it was intended to be, but that's okay. The battle scene sort of got away from me.
> 
> In any case, enjoy!
> 
> Don't own VLD.

Not long after the four had gotten into position to wait, the sound of footsteps became audible to more than just Aikrie. As the footsteps grew nearer, and thus louder, Lance looked across the way at Matt, managing to catch the elder human’s eye. They shared a small but encouraging smile between them before turning their attention back to the opening in the wall that the other prisoners would appear from.

The first to appear through the gap between the two humans was a tall prisoner, standing roughly two feet taller than any of the adults in the group of four. The dark skin was covered in lighter scars that Lance could only assume had come from fights in the arena. The opponent seemed surprised when they didn’t immediately see the group that was supposed to be in the room, something that they took advantage of.

Matt was the first to jump into battle, his movements clean and precise as he darted in towards the first of their opponents. The prisoner was obviously a seasoned arena gladiator, which meant there was no room for error. Just as Matt sliced into the larger being’s skin and flesh, Falkek followed up with an attack of his own coming from the other side.

The wise Anhir was able to inflict increasing amounts of damage with each strike, though he had no blades, his fists were just as powerful. Falkek fought quickly and without any excess movement, his fists flying at impressive speeds as they hit hard against the flesh and bone of his opponent. Each blow seemed to indent into the softer tissues of the large prisoner that Falkek and Matt were fighting, the damage dealt specifically to areas where the bone would be easier to reach.

This style of attack allowed Matt to back up for a moment before attacking once more, cutting completely through the muscle around the opponent’s wrist. This gave Falkek the opening he needed to go in for a fatal blow, his fist coming forward in a deadly strike to the base of the skull. The force threw the opponent’s head backward with a loud crack, the sound echoing as the body fell with the direction of the punch. Falkek evacuated the body just as Matt had a few moments earlier and they watched as one of their three opponents fell to the ground.

The second and third opponents seemed to take that as a warning to take the four fighters seriously. Lance knew that the other opponents had not yet seen anyone but Matt and Falkek, but if just two of them could take down such a large fighter so quickly, the paladin knew that  the clear assumption must be that the four of them working together must be trouble.

Together, the two remaining fighters darted into the open space behind Matt and Falkek, obviously hoping they would gain an advantage, or at least get rid of a disadvantage, by taking the fight to a level playing field. Of course, by this happening, Lance and Aikrie were no longer protected by the walls that had hidden them earlier. As a result, Lance found it best to move away from the wall, advancing slightly toward the opposing prisoners, hoping to get a better look.

The one on the right seemed taller than the humans, likely seven or eight feet tall. Their exotic looks didn’t end with their height though, as their deep green skin was littered with bumps. It took Lance a moment to realize that the bumps were opening every once in a while to reveal eyes beneath the skin. The dozens of optic sites seemed to glow a lime green when they opened, their unnerving color putting the sharpshooter on edge.

The prisoner on the left was slightly smaller than the average human, likely around five feet in height, but that was made up for in diameter. They were built solidly, the muscular limbs being a crimson color that reminded Lance of blood. He swallowed at that thought before drawing his mind back to his observations. The crimson opponent had four sets of limbs, one pair of legs and three sets of arms, which would definitely be a challenge to deal with.

Lance tightened his grip on a knife, getting slightly impatient with the staredown that was occurring. Finally, the green fighter with many eyes moved forward, attempting to attack Falkek, though the original attempt was intercepted by Lance’s blue comrade. The two continued to trade blows as Matt and Lance advanced on the multiarmed prisoner that hadn’t yet moved.

Just as Lance got close enough, the prisoner sprung forward, wrapping one of its six hands around Lance’s bad arm, using it to throw the paladin off to the side, causing him to cry out at the sudden pain. He had been successful in avoiding his left arm in the previous battles he had been in, but it was still injured from when he had originally been captured. Still, Lance pushed himself back onto his feet so that he could help Matt with the fight. The scientist was holding his own, but just barely, the opponent using the human’s attacks against him and attempting to run the man down.

Lance took a deep breath, then ran forward, attempting to take the smaller prisoner off guard by coming at it from the side. He had no such luck. As soon as he grew near to the fight, Matt was thrown his way, falling right where Lance was trying to run. The sharpshooter paused to help up his companion, each taking a moment to think through what their opponent had done.

“It’s quick to react, but not actually very fast for the long term,” Matt notes, his breath coming out in quick but heavy pants.

“True. The hearing seems to be better than most, too. That could also be a weakness,” Lance agrees as he thinks about how his approach had been noticed without the prisoner even turning to look at him.

“Let’s try it,” the scientist nods. It doesn’t take long for them to do just that as they fall in step a few attempted attacks later.

“AHH!” Each lets out a battle cry, as though trying to scream out their frustrations and pain that had arisen from their situation. Sure enough, the loud sounds caused the smaller crimson being to cringe slightly, leaving them open to the humans’ attack. They each attacked with a single knife in hand, putting as much force as possible behind the blade that pierced their opponent’s chest. To their surprise, this did little against the being, though the prisoner had stumbled back a bit from the impact of the stabbing.

Furrowing his brow, Lance pitched his voice higher than before, a shrill cry coming from his lips as he drew near his opponent once more. Again, they flinched at the sound, more so this time, giving Lance an even larger window of opportunity which he used to jerk the knives free from the other prisoner’s chest cavity. Just as he had suspected, the knives had been holding everything in place inside the crimson being. A clear substance that looked somewhat like water began gushing from each of the stab wounds, the prisoner doing its best to stop its inner fluid from leaving its body. Matt and Lance repeated the sequence of attacks twice more before stepping back for the last time. Their opponent was dying, the amount of liquid too much for a body that size to lose, especially if it had a similar function to blood.

Turning away from the defeated being, Lance and Matt looked at Falkek’s fight. The Anhir was fighting very well, but the green opponent was giving as good as it got as well. Still, it seemed as though the battle between the two was coming to a conclusion. Though each of the prisoners looked injured, it was Falkek’s opponent who seemed to be worse off and struggling to keep up.

“Need some help there?” Lance offered, raising his voice to catch the blue prisoner’s attention.

“No, I believe I shall be fine,” came the reply, as calm as if it had been given without any threat present at all. This tone reassured Lance enough that he felt completely comfortable making his way to Aikrie, smiling at the little girl as he did so.

“You alright there?” he asked quietly, quirking an eyebrow.

“Mh, yes, I’m okay,” the yellow child responded, smiling back at Lance, “You’re a good fighter. Matt, too.”

“Thanks, kid. I’m sorry you had to watch that, though,” he said to the girl, a sad tone returning to his voice when he reflected on what Aikrie had probably seen.

Aikrie had no time to respond to Lance’s words; however, as a voice sounded from above, “And so ends the battle!” As the words registered in Lance’s mind, so did the other sound that accompanied it, the whirring of Galra tech. Looking up, the paladin could see that a platform holding a few guards was descending from the ceiling. Falkek drew nearer to the trio, not wanting to be separated from the team that had been created over the last few days.

When they were still roughly ten feet from the ground, one of the guards sneered at the group. They threw an object down to the ground, the item falling directly at Lance’s feet. It was the helmet to his paladin armor.

“Oh how the mighty Blue Paladin of Voltron has fallen,” the guard spit the words as though they were acid, intent on hurting Lance as much as possible.

Instead of flaring up in response to the helmet, Lance leaned down to pick it up, inspecting it and finding that all the inner technology had been ripped out of it. He had expected as much, but there had still been a part of him that had hoped he would be able to contact the other paladins. Still, this was enough. It was something to fight for.

Clenching it in his right hand, Lance raised the helmet above his head, turning it into a statement of his own. Copying his lead, Matt raised his own right hand, making a fist in the air above his head as he did so. Seeing the act of defiance from the two humans, their companions did exactly as Matt did, raising fists to the sky.

_ This, _ Lance thought, his arm held high,  _ is the start of a Resistance. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the song Rise Up by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> Thanks for reading! As always, I'd love to hear how you liked it.


	12. It's All Uphill From Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance takes a stand and, in doing so, begins a Resistance that will change the Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The WiFi has been out for the past five days at my university, so I'm actually really lucky to be posting this on time.
> 
> Not only that, but I'm doing NaNoWriMo this month... That's a lot of writing especially when I factor in updating this once a week.
> 
> Anyway, still don't own VLD. Enjoy!

The team of four were quickly escorted back to Cell Block B and then directly into Lance’s old cell. They were locked in the cell, each one staring back at the Galran guards that had escorted them with an intensity that seemed to intimidate the purple beings. Upon the door closing behind the last guard, the large chamber erupted in cheers. Everyone in each cell had gotten to their feet and was clapping and hollering for the four who had just returned from the arena battles.

Lance looked around at the neighboring cells, all of whom were celebrating, before turning to the friends he had made in the next cell over before the fight. “Xyma, what is going on?”

“The Galra show the battles on screens throughout the prisons, Lance. They are celebrating your win and your resistance,” the older pink prisoner explained, a pleased smile on her face as well.

“Resistance?” Lance repeated, the word having caught his attention.

“The lifting of your helmet was done in resistance to the Galra Empire, was it not?”

“I suppose so,” Lance agreed, his gaze going to the helmet that he still held in his hands. The guards hadn’t taken it from him, something he was immensely happy about.

Matt stepped up to Lance and put a hand on his shoulder, “You’re basically going to end up the leader of some kind of resistance whether you like it or not, Lance. You might as well give in now.”

“I don’t mind, I want to help. I, just, didn’t think I’d be some kind of leader,” he admitted.

“It is because you simply desire to help and you are not afraid to stand up for what is right that we follow you” Falkek addressed the paladin. The man stood further away from Lance than either Matt or Aikrie, but his words fell over the man like a thick blanket: warm and comforting.

“Alright,” Lance began, knowing that the entirety of the cell block was listening in on the conversation. The room had gone far too quiet for anything else. “If we’re going to be doing this resistance thing, then we’re going to do it right. You don’t have to actively participate, but not acting isn’t going to save us. We have to save ourselves. I will lead you, but this resistance is for you. It is to free you. I may be a Paladin of Voltron, but there is no Voltron in this prison right now. There is just us. And that will have to be enough. It  **will be** enough. We  **will** be free. I promise you this.”

The prison block was silent for a moment before it once more erupted in cheers. It seemed like the other prisoners had liked what Lance had to say, which the man had been worried about. It wouldn’t do to make declarations like that if the group you were trying to work with merely dismissed you after all.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Matt assured the other human, squeezing his shoulder lightly in an act of companionship.

“I know,” Lance smiled at the older male, “You have no idea how much that means to me, Matt.”

The scientist smirked slightly, asking rhetorically: “Probably about the same as you promising me my freedom?”

“Probably,” the Cuban agreed, laughing lightly.

The two humans chatted quietly for a few moments longer before Lance was called to the edge of the cell by some of the leaders of the block. His conference with them was able to quickly get him up to date on the runnings of a Galra prison, having very little experience in the usual ongoings of the system. After a few minutes, Lance gestured for Matt to join him, introducing the other human as his Second in Command and someone he trusted greatly, something that drew respect from the leaders of the block. By the end of their conversation and planning, the two humans were able to create and discuss a few plans that would give the Resistance a foothold in the prison. Hopefully, they would be able to spread the word to other cell blocks, gaining more power as the groups would be able to band together in the long run. It would not be a short process, but there was already a few systems that they could take advantage of, including the dining hall and arena fights. 

They had allies, plans, and a leader now. Next was the implementation of those plans and finding a way to begin communicating regularly with the other cell blocks. It didn’t take long for Lance to realize that there were likely other beings in the blocks who had mental connections or the ability to form them, just like he had with Blue. Understanding what a boon this would be to communication, Matt immediately asked the leaders of the other cells to ask for anyone who had such gifts and was willing to use them. Within a few minutes, there were two prisoners who had stepped forward.

“I have a sister in Block E,” the smaller of the two noted, her green antenna clicking against each other softly as she looked at Lance with wide eyes. “I call to her sometimes and she is able to answer.”

“I have no family in the prison, but I can send out a signal to get anyone with the gift to respond,” the other reported, their white skin offset by their pure blue eyes.

“Thank you both, your help is much appreciated,” Lance smiled at them both, earning him nods in return. “Please do your best to get the message of the Resistance to them.”

“Yes, sir. After all, as you say: There is just us. We will be enough. We will be free,” the blue-eyed prisoner replied, their pale white face stretching to accommodate their grin of excitement, an expression that likely had not been on their face in quite a while.

The other prisoners in the cell block felt the same excitement as the telepathic one did. After all, being free was something that had been the sweetest dream and more than they could hope for. Now, it seemed as though that dream was finally able to become a reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from Who We Are by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> As always, let me know how you like it!


	13. Would You Turn Your Back on Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finds potential allies in unexpected places. He also finds himself in the arena once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own VLD
> 
> This chapter introduces two more new characters. That should be the end of it for the main cast, but we'll see. For all I know at this point, we could end up with one or two more by the end.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy the chapter though!

It wasn’t long before Cell Block B had established a connection with each of the other blocks of prisoners. It was quickly decided that their block would be the center and headquarters of the resistance, especially since Lance and Matt were already there and together with the rest of their team. Lance found himself coming to the realization that not only was he becoming a leader to this resistance, but a figurehead as well. He was becoming a symbol to rally behind, for people to draw strength from. After thinking about that a little further and talking with Matt about it as well, Lance realized he didn’t mind. He was happy to give people strength and hope in such a dark place in their lives.

After two weeks of planning and strategizing with some of the best minds that the prison system had to offer, Lance’s injuries from his original capture were completely healed, something he was quite grateful for as it had been a pain to fight when already injured during the maze battle. It was not something that he ever wanted to experience again. Still, he knew it would be highly likely that the Galra would force him to fight in the arena more than just the once. They had a Paladin of Voltron in the prison, there was no way that they would pass up on the opportunity to show off their prisoner and force him to do their bidding.

Sure enough, two guards made their way into Cell Block B, causing the Resistance Headquarters to scatter. It would do them no good to reveal their existence already, so it was best to take every possible precaution.

“Paladin, you’re coming with us. You will fight in the arena,” the soldier on the left ordered. Lance simply stared at him for a moment as though he were going to refuse, but stood and walked over to the door of his cell a moment later. Under his arm, he carried his gutted helmet, the same object that he used to spark Resistance in the prison at the end of his last stay in the arena.

“You need to open the door for me to come with you,” the human prompted, his features calm as he watched the two Galra in front of him. When the door swung open, the sharpshooter stepped forward just enough that the door could be closed behind him, but made no move to escape or go anywhere further.

“Follow us,” the other guard prompted, locking wrist restraints on Lance’s arms before pulling him along with the other end of the chain that was attached to them. There was enough slack to the chain that Lance didn’t feel much of a tug, but it was still plenty of tension to keep him moving and restrained.

The two guards led him back out toward the arena, but stopped short of it, confusing Lance. According to what he had experienced the previous time and what the other prisoners had told him, it was highly unusual for a prisoner who was to fight in the arena to be taken anywhere other than directly to the fighting chambers. This was breaking the norm, something that made Lance worry slightly. Here he was in chains and in the company of two Galra soldiers and for all he knew, they were going to spend a little time beating him black and blue.

“Paladin, what are your plans?”

“What do you mean? Obviously I plan to survive this fight,” Lance deflected the question, not wanting to give his captors anything more to use against him.

“That is not what my companion meant,” the other soldier answered, “We wonder what you will do with the support you have gained. There is even some support growing in the guards. We have seen what you do for others, Paladin. You have helped them. We hope you will help us too.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed, “Help you with what?” He refused to answer the guards directly, still fearing that they might turn against him at any point.

“We want to see our own freedom. The Empire is strong, but the individual is not valued. There is nothing to the life of one of us other than fighting. We wish to see that change,” the taller of the guards rubbed his lower arm. When Lance looked, he realized that the guard was rubbing over what seemed to be an injury of some kind, though he couldn’t tell what had caused it.

“And you want my help?”

“You are a symbol, Paladin. You have given some of us hope too,” one of the soldiers admitted quietly. Lance was slightly taken aback, he had become a symbol for some of the Galra too? It appeared that the Resistance was building even in the ranks of the Galran Empire.

“So you want to know what I want to do?”

“We know you plan, but we want to help,” the two confirmed.

“Prove it. Prove you want to help us,” the human challenged, not wanting to give away too much to beings he wasn’t sure he could really trust.

“How would you have us do that, Paladin?”

“Can you get us some bandages? We don’t have any for injuries. That would be enough for now,” Lance suggested after a moment of thought.

“That should be manageable,” the smaller of the two agreed. Nodding his head, causing Lance to glimpse what seemed to be a scar under the fur that covered the neck.

As the three prepared to move to the preparation room for the arena fight, Lance paused once more, “Tell me: what are your names?”

“Navuk,” the one on the left introduced himself, his head tilting up slightly as he did so, giving Lance a perfect view of a long scar along the inside of the guard’s throat.

“Drixel,” in contrast to his companion, Drixel seemed almost nervous to give Lance his name. Of course, this made sense to the human as he knew that by giving him their names, they were giving him a bit of power over them. After all, trust in this matter was definitely a two way street.

“I look forward to working with you both,” Lance nodded to the two new members of the Resistance, provided they upheld their end of the deal. They then led him to the arena where he found himself in a one-on-one fight with a member of Block C.

It was a dangerous fight, but thankfully not a deadly one for either fighter. Lance found himself exhausted by the end of it due to how the other prisoner forced him to jump around throughout the battle in order to stay out of reach. He managed to take down his opponent by using their own agile tail against them. By grabbing hold of the appendage, Lance had been able to throw his opponent off balance enough to knock them out. Thankfully, that had been satisfactory for the audience that was watching. He really didn’t want to be forced to kill more of his fellow prisoners.

At the end of the match, Lance made his way back over to the edge of the arena where he had set down his helmet before the fight had begun. Picking it up in his right hand, he raised it directly above his head in the same way that he had at the end of the maze battle. It was a reminder that he would not back down, another spark to help fan the flames of Resistance that were building in the hearts of the prisoners. Hopefully, it would do the same for those outside of the prison like Navuk and Drixel. At this point, Lance would take all the help he could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the lyrics of the song Monster by Imagine Dragons
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! I'd love to hear what you thought!
> 
> To the person who comments as Lucas: You, my dear person, are someone that I very much appreciate. Your comments always make me glow when I read them! It means a lot that you're enjoying my work so much!


	14. You're All I Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Matt accidentally manage to cause the biggest celebration and increase in morale that the Resistance has seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own VLD.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this one! I love the curveball that this chapter turned out to be. I hope you guys do too.
> 
> Hint: Check out the new tags!
> 
> In any case, here's the next chapter!

Sure enough, Navuk and Drixel were able to smuggle some bandages into the Resistance, just as Lance had requested. He explained the situation to Matt before anyone else and with the help of his Second in Command, brought the issue to the attention of the rest of what had become a council of sorts. The idea of some of the Galra wanting to help the Resistance threw many of them for a loop, but it was ultimately something that many could understand. Everyone, including the two humans, wanted to be cautious when it came to handing over information and asking for help, but they also agreed that the Galra insiders would be an invaluable resource to have.

Slowly, they began to integrate the guards that could be trusted into the Resistance, having Navuk and Drixel act as the go-between for the Galra members and the human leaders. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good starting point. Building trust between the prisoners and those in the Empire who wanted to help would definitely be a long process, but Lance knew that it would be very important in the long run.

The next big thing that happened was completely unexpected and, while shocking, was actually a comfort for Lance as well. He and Matt had been relying on each other for just about everything: warmth, comfort, support. Ever since they had survived the maze, the two humans had been nigh inseparable. They shared the cell with Falkek and Aikrie, both of whom were great help in both keeping the two humans on track and happy. Still, the two men found themselves in each other’s arms at night to ward off nightmares and simply for the comfort of another human being.

So when Lance offered Matt a little extra of one of the scientist’s favorite prison foods from his plate in the cafeteria one day, he thought nothing of it. “Here, have a little more. You like this, right?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Matt smiled. Instead of merely taking the spoon that Lance was offering, Matt decided to simply eat the offered food right off the spoon while it was still in Lance’s hand.

The humans smiled at each other and laughed at their silly actions, but were surprised to find just how many of their fellow prisoners were staring at them in shock. It made the two humans slightly nervous that everyone in the area was focussed on them.

“Falkek, why are they all staring at us?” Lance asked in a low voice, not wanting those around him to realize that he was out of his depth. He had realized early on that the other prisoners needed to see the leader of the Resistance as someone strong and self assured.

“No one was expecting your marriage,” Falkek answered, his words catching the humans by surprise.

“Marriage?” Matt asked, his shock showing through his voice and wide eyes.

“You did feed each other, did you not? That is how marriage has been done in the prison. Did you not mean to do so?”

“We didn’t. I didn’t even know how prison marriage worked,” Lance admitted, a little embarrassed. He spent so much time learning at least a little about new cultures during his time as a Paladin, but he had neglected to do so when he arrived in the prison. He had only inquired as to what he absolutely needed to know in order to survive and make plans for the Resistance.

Falkek was silent for a moment before asking the two, “Would you prefer to annul your marriage?” Lance could tell that the blue prisoner had no desire to force them to do anything that they didn’t want to, especially since they hadn’t known what they were doing in the first place. It was something he appreciated in the older prisoner.

Knowing that the decision wasn’t just up to him, Lance looked at Matt in askance. It was true that he hadn’t planned to get married when he fed the scientist earlier, but Matt was still the one person he trusted most in the universe at that moment. There was something about fighting for your life with someone and leading a Resistance that fostered trust and affection between people. Matt’s shoulders shrugged, but Lance could see that he felt the same way that he did about the matter. Thinking about it, Lance realized that a marriage could be exactly what the Resistance needed. It would be another way to give them power, showing that their created prison culture was more powerful than the oppression of the Galra Empire. After a few moments of reflection, Lance moved to take Matt’s hand, holding it gently with his own.

“I see no reason to annul it,” he declared quietly. “There’s no one I’d rather be married to.”

Matt smiled at the other human, his gaze holding the same affection that Lance’s did, “Me either. So I guess I have a husband now?” The facial expression that the scientist made while asking his question managed to make the Cuban man laugh a little. After all, wiggling eyebrows were dorky enough that they definitely fell into the category of intentionally bad flirting, something Lance could appreciate.

“That you do,” Lance agreed, giving his new husband’s hand a light squeeze.

“Shall we seal our union like we do on Earth?” Matt’s eyes glinted with mischief as he suggested a kiss. The question elicited a small laugh from the sharpshooter that held his hand, but Lance found himself leaning forward and pressing his lips to Matt’s, effectively communicating to those around them that they were happy with their new union.

The tables around them were silent for just a few moments more before erupting in cheers and celebration. Their leaders had just married in front of their eyes! That was more than they had to celebrate in such a long time, it was exhilarating for the prisoners to be able to congratulate the two humans. News of such a joyous occasion was broadcast to the other cell blocks quickly via those with telepathic abilities, spreading the increase in morale across the Resistance.

Even as everyone around them celebrated, the two newlyweds simply snuck affectionate looks at each other when they could as they accepted the congratulations of others. What mattered most to them was that they now had a reason to get out of here. No longer was it just their individual freedom on the line. Lance smiled as he found himself staring at Matt’s face once more. He wasn’t just fighting for himself or for the freedom of the universe. He was fighting for his husband, the person that he had just promised to spend the rest of his life with.

Reaching out, Lance took Matt’s hand again, smiling at the scientist when the man turned to look over at him. In return, Lance saw a smile form on Matt’s face as well before the elder man pressed his lips to Lance’s cheek softly. It was a chaste kiss, but full of affection. It was the perfect example of the relationship that had just bloomed. It was something sweet, something affectionate, something small. But most of all, it was something happy and joyful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from The Fall by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> Let me know how you liked the chapter!


	15. I Blame It on the Pressure I'm Facing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little reflection on Lance, his coping mechanisms, and the Resistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own VLD
> 
> Not quite as happy with this chapter, but I thought I'd try a little different of a style for it.
> 
> Spoiler Alert for the chapter: Lance is not okay, but he recognizes that and will likely deal with it eventually.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy it.

It was a well known fact that Lance avoided news of Voltron like the plague. He refused to ask for information too, as though he feared what he might hear. A few times, a prisoner had tried to inform him during mealtime as to what the Paladins of Voltron were doing outside the prison, but the look on their leader’s face stopped them in their tracks. Matt had needed to come over from where he had been eating to calm his husband down. He was likely the only one that knew what the Cuban was feeling. It wasn’t anger or despondency, more like the homesickness and worry for a group that you couldn’t bare to know the worst about. It was the same thing that the scientist had felt when he had been separated from his father and best friend when they were captured.

Matt understood that what Lance feared wasn’t hearing about Voltron’s efforts against the Empire, but that he might hear the worst possible outcomes. That his teammates may be injured, separated, or even dead. And that sort of news would crush Lance completely. So, in order to protect himself and the Resistance from that possibility, he simply refused to find out.

It wasn’t a strategy that would work forever, both Matt and Lance knew that, but it was the coping mechanism that the sharpshooter had chosen. In Matt’s opinion, while it wouldn’t help the Resistance, it was by far one of the better options. He was happy that his husband and fellow leader had chosen avoidance over drinking or overt despair, both of which would have ruined the Resistance before it had even begun.

In order to help, Matt made sure that he was the one who dealt with any news of the Paladins of Voltron, though it wasn’t his priority. Still, he managed to keep the vast majority of the news away from Lance. This allowed the man to focus on his work as the leader of the Resistance.

Not only was Lance working to grow the Resistance, but he was also being sent to the arena every week or so by the Galra. Each time, he took his helmet with him and placed it at the edge of the fighting space and after every win, Lance would pick it up and hold it high above his head. The ritualistic action had become something of a comfort for the Resistance to see. Their leader was overcoming everything that the Galra threw at him, so they would do the same.

The more that Lance won in the arena and refused to break under the pressures of the Galra prison and his new leadership position, the more trust and support he garnered in the cell blocks. Not only that, but a small grouping of guards had joined Navuk and Drixel in support of the Blue Paladin and Leader of the Resistance.

The Resistance had moved from merely gathering support and information to more in depth planning. Some of those plans were even in the first steps of implementation, already improving the lives of the prisoners, something that Lance had been firm in doing. He knew that while he couldn’t free everyone immediately, there was still a lot that could be done to help his fellow prisoners live better lives.

One of the first changes that Lance had managed was an increase in medical resources and care for the prisoners. No longer was illness ignored, nor were the smaller injuries that the prisoners gained through the day. Even the medical treatment after arena fights had improved. Instead of simply doing the minimum to survive and be fight ready, treatment with the intent of a full recovery was becoming the norm. This decreased death in the cell blocks, but it also made the prisoners feel safer and more important than before.

The other difference that Lance had been adamant about was an increase in food rations, if even a little. The Blue Paladin had noticed early on that he and his fellow prisoners were not getting enough food to support themselves, nor a balanced diet of any kind. He knew that this kind of malnutrition could lead to disastrous conditions in the long run, something that was already apparent in some of the prisoners that had been held captive the longest. By fixing this problem, Lance both increased morale and strengthened his forces.

Not only did he change these things, but Lance made an effort to learn the name of every Resistance member that he met. It didn’t matter if the member was a prisoner or guard, he learned them all. By learning the names and using them, Lance won even more respect with the Resistance, as he made them feel valued and individually important. Their individuality and self-worth would be one of the things that Lance would believe the most important thing that he returned to them before their freedom. After all, that was what made each individual unique and a force to be reckoned with.

Finally, with careful planning and discrete maneuvering, Lance managed to get Drixel and Navuk to pass the Resistance some weapons. Nothing too fancy, of course, as the two guards could only sneak away some of the arena weaponry, but it was enough. In fact, Lance was more than pleased with the types of weapons they brought since it would be what the prisoners were already used to. There was no time or space to train any Resistance members on how to use complicated Galran weapon technologies, so it was a much better option to have the familiar blades and firearms.

In the weeks since the maze, there had also been a much greater need to gather information, an endeavor by the telepaths which eventually led to the discovery that would change the course of the Resistance:

“The other prisons have begun to join the Resistance. When they transferred prisoners, the ideas spread. They already supported you and your actions, Lance, but now they are actively Resisting. The Resistance grows.”

“Then it’s only a matter of time before the Galra decide to do something about it. And when that time comes, we’ll be ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from the song "Cool Out" by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> Let me know how you liked it.


	16. My Love, I Won't Give Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance receives some help and some news. Both come from his husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own VLD.
> 
> Hope you guys like this chapter! There's a bit of build up near the end, more plot is coming!
> 
> As always, enjoy!

With the growth of the Resistance, Lance found himself under much more pressure than before, something that Matt did his best to help with. Every so often, the scientist saw his husband massaging his forehead in an attempt to ward off a growing headache. At that point, Matt knew he needed to do something to help the other man.

“You’re working yourself too hard,” he told Lance when he found the man stressing over the Resistance one day. There weren’t many moments that they had alone, but when Lance secluded himself in the cafeteria, Matt knew it was his job as both Right Hand and husband to the Leader of the Resistance to find the Cuban and talk to him.

“I need to, they’re all counting on me,” Lance argued, though it seemed as though he were trying to convince not just Matt but also himself that the words were true. Even his voice worked against him in that moment as the words came out sounding as though he were exhausted. Though he had been getting plenty of sleep, Lance had indeed been working himself to a state of mental fatigue.

“Lance, as your husband, I’m telling you now that you don’t need to stress yourself out this much. Let me help you,” the scientist implored, though the way he spoke made it apparent that his words were not a suggestion. He was going to help Lance, he just needed the paladin to realize that.

“You want to?” The surprise on Lance’s face and in his words was obvious, which only made Matt all the more determined to help the younger man.

He smiled easily at his husband, the expression soft but supportive, “That’s what this whole marriage thing is about, right?”

“I guess so. Been a long time since I’ve spent time around a married couple,” Lance admitted bittersweetly, obviously thinking about Earth and the people that they had left behind. He had told Matt about his large family back on Earth, so the scientist could only assume that Lance was thinking about any one of the married family members he had.

“Yeah, me too,” Matt agreed, placing his hand on Lance’s shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

Lance covered Matt’s hand with one of his own, acknowledging the support that he was giving the Resistance Leader. Smiling softly, he shrugged, “Guess we’ll just have to figure it out, huh?”

“Sounds like a plan,” the elder agreed, pressing a light kiss to Lance’s cheek.

 

“Husband,” Matt said, the word drawing Lance’s attention like the strongest magnet in the universe. The younger had been conversing with some of the other organizers in the Resistance, but apparently his husband required his attention. The affectionate title had become something powerful for the two humans. It was both a stake of claim between them and a reassurance that the other was not going anywhere.

“Yes?”

“I’ve got news. I know you don’t like to hear about Voltron, but I think you need to know this,” Matt said, his tone apologetic, yet understanding. He knew why Lance avoided news of Voltron, but this was one of those times that he couldn’t cater to the younger’s wishes.

Lance sighed heavily, if Matt was willing to bring this information to his attention directly, then it had to be important. He took a moment to center himself, then nodded, “Alright, what do we know?”

“For one, the Princess Allura is piloting the Blue Lion. That’s not the news, but I figured you’d want to know. The real news is that they have been drawing closer to us and the Resistance as a whole. It seemed odd at first, until we realized that they were following the transmissions sent between Zarkon and the prison systems near here. Specifically this one.”

“Zarkon’s been paying attention to us. That makes sense, after all, he has a Paladin of Voltron as a prisoner,” Lance replied, knowing that there must be more for Matt to have brought this to his attention. Still, it was good to hear that his team was alright and still fighting strong. He had always feared that the news he would hear about Voltron would be negative, but it was a relief to hear the opposite. Cutting his moment of reflection short, he gestured for Matt to continue.

“Right, but it doesn’t end there. Some of the Galran Resistance members were able to get ahold of the transmissions Zarkon was sending. Apparently, he wants to see the strength of the Blue Paladin of Voltron for himself. He’s been making plans to visit this prison in person,” the scientist revealed.

Lance’s eyes widened. _ Zarkon, visiting this prison? Why? Wait… _ The man spent a few moments longer thinking about it before smirking slightly, “How much do you want to bet he brings along my bayard?”

“No bet. It would be the perfect opportunity to gloat and show off his prize. As a calculated risk to strengthen support in his empire, it’s actually a great choice,” Matt explains his logic, earning him a thoughtful hum in return.

“So what we need to do is take advantage of that risk. If we can take back my bayard and take down Zarkon while he’s here in our territory, then freeing everyone would become immensely easier.”

“I agree, the only question is: how do we do it?” Matt looked at Lance questioningly, ready to follow his lead when it came to a plan.

Lance thought for a moment before avoiding the question with another, “How long do we have until he arrives?”

“The transmissions said a few weeks yet,” Matt replied, not quite knowing what to make of his husband’s avoidance, but trusting that the younger would tell him soon.

“Good, then we have time to prepare. I have a few ideas, but the more we can do ahead of time, the better off we’ll be,” Lance said, determination flashing in his eyes as a multitude of possible plans flashed through his mind. “We’re going to take Zarkon down, once and for all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from West Coast by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We're definitely looking at the final plotline of this piece, but who knows how long that will take?
> 
> In any case, let me know how you liked it!


	17. I'm Coming Home to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the final preparations are made, Lance finds himself uneasy and goes to the one person with whom he can talk freely.
> 
> Together, he and Matt make plans for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own VLD
> 
> OH MY GOODNESS IT'S BEEN SO LONG  
> To all of you who have stuck around, thank you. It's been a rough month. I promise to get back to my usual updating pattern, but thank you for bearing with me.  
> Also, thank you so much for 200 kudos!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

The Resistance was beyond enthusiastic when they learned of what their two leaders were planning. The downfall of Zarkon would free all the prisoners, but it would also free the guards who had joined the cause. For this reason, all members of the Resistance were ready to do what they could to prepare for what would inevitably become the final battle between Zarkon’s Galra Empire and Lance’s Resistance. They hoped that Voltron would be able to join them in the fight, but knew that expecting such help would be foolish as there was no evidence that they would come to the prison itself.

Meetings for planning and organization grew more frequent as more guards began to join their cause, sneaking Lance and Matt to other places and passing information as often as they could. The tensions between the guards and prisoners had also lowered as a result of the Resistance, something that Lance was very happy to see. No longer did the prisoners flinch at the sound of Galran footsteps, nor did the gleam of immense hate enter the eyes of the guards when looking at the prisoners. The large purple allies had managed to gather food, water, medical supplies and even weapons for the Resistance. Lance had made it explicitly clear that all were equal in the Resistance, no matter where they came from. He didn’t want to push down the Galra simply because of their species. It would leave a bad taste in his mouth to simply turn on his allies like that.

As the plans were finalized in the two weeks leading up to Zarkon’s visit to the prison, Lance found himself in the arena three more times, coming back from each fight with his helmet gripped tight.

One night, as he held the reminder of his time in Voltron against his chest, he felt his heart constricting with worry. It was clear that something wasn’t right, he just couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Matt?”

“Hm? What is it?” the man responded, briefly glancing up from the schematics he was looking over as he sat next to Lance.

“I feel like something’s wrong, but I don’t know what,” the paladin confessed, feeling more lost than ever after saying the words out loud.

“Do you know the kind of something or do we have to play twenty questions?”

“Twenty questions, I think. I have no clue what’s wrong,” Lance’s eyes slipped shut for a moment, opening again when he felt the arms of his husband wrap around him from behind. The embrace was comforting, something he had desperately needed.

“Are you worried about preparations?”

“No, those are good.”

“Is it the battle itself?”

“There’s really nothing I can do about that at this point.”

“Is that what’s bothering you? That you can’t do anything to prepare?”

“I don’t think so? I mean, we’re arming the Resistance and that should help us since we have superior numbers. We’ve done all we can.”

“But do  _ you  _ feel that you’ve done all that  _ you  _ can do?”

Lance’s answer was less sure than he liked, but the “Yes?” seemed to be enough for Matt.

“Alright then. If it’s not that, is it Voltron?”

“You said they’re doing fine,” Lance’s brow furrowed for a moment, his worry spiking slightly at the idea that things were not okay for the Defenders of the Universe.

“They are, but I’m sure they’re also missing their Blue Paladin,” Matt assured his husband, calming him slightly.

“Allura’s their Blue Paladin,” Lance replied flatly, as though the words were an obvious fact that made complete sense.

“Allura is their temporary placeholder for you. They’re still looking for you,” Matt argued calmly.

“They shouldn’t be focussing on me, I’m fine,” Lance dismissed.

“They don’t know that,” the scientist replied, knowing that there wasn’t anything he could do right then that would convince Lance that Voltron needed him.

“In any case, I don’t think it’s Voltron that I’m worried about,” it was an obvious deflection, but the truth nonetheless.

“But you are worried about something?”

“Yeah, I think so. Something just doesn’t feel right, it’s like something is coming,” Lance described as well as he could.

“Well, what about after the battle?” Matt asked, continuing the questioning from earlier.

“What about it?”

“What are you going to do then?”

“I mean, assuming I’m still alive? I’d want to go back to Earth. See my family. It’s been a long time.”

Matt nodded, “I can understand that. Mom’s probably really worried and all alone.”

“Do you think you’d ever come back out to space?”

“Yeah, probably. I want to see what else is out there. I feel like I got cheated a bit, the brochure for my trip to space did not include prison. I’d like to see the sights.”

“There  _ is _ a lot to see in the Universe. Lots of beautiful things,” Lance agreed.

“What about you? Would you come back?”

Lance pondered for a moment, weighing the question in his head as he tried to figure out his answer before finally saying,  “I would. Earth may be where I grew up, but I think I belong out here, doing something more.”

“You mind if I join you then? I mean, I think it kinda comes as part of the husband deal that we go places together, but,” Matt trailed off, seeming to be a bit uncertain.

“Matt, I’d love it if you stayed around. You’re my rock, how I get through the day. I couldn’t be leading this Resistance without you,” Lance informed his husband, his hands coming up to hold Matt’s where they were wrapped around his torso.

“No wonder you’re our leader, you know just what to say,” Matt’s words were slightly muffled as he buried his face in Lance’s shoulder, “Are you worried about the future?”

“I guess so. I have no idea what’s going to happen after this battle,” Lance admitted softly, finally realizing where his uncertainty was coming from.

“Would it help to make some plans for what to do after the battle?”

“Like a bucket list?”

“Yeah, a bit.”

Lance smiled lightly, nudging Matt’s face out of his shoulder so he could look at the older human, “Sure, we could do that. What would you put on it?”

“A proper Earth Wedding,” Matt responded after a moment, before clarifying his reasoning, “I’m happy to be married to you, but I want it to be because we chose to stick together, not because we accidentally got hitched and went with it.”

Lance’s smile grew at his husband’s words, “I’d like that. Alright, that’s definitely on the list.”

“What about kids?” the question seemed to surprise Matt just as much as it had Lance, the two staring at each other wide eyed.

“Do you want them?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Matt replied, his words coming from his mouth like an exhale of realization.

Lance opened his mouth to speak before closing it again, repeating the action a few more times before asking, “Do you want human kids?”

“I don’t think that matters to me, really.”

“What about Aikrie? Falkek told us that she had no family,” Lance proposed quietly, his gaze drawn to where the little girl was sleeping against the older blue prisoner a few feet away.

“Lance, if we make it through this, I would love to adopt her with you.”

“So our plan is to get married again and have a family.”

“Is that enough of one?”

“Yeah, I think it might be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from "Every Night" by Imagine Dragons


	18. King is Crowned, It's Do or Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has already been their leader, but the Resistance thinks it's time to give him a crown.
> 
> Still don't own VLD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me these past few weeks! Writer's block has been kicking this story around in my head, but not letting me write anything. Hopefully that doesn't happen with the rest of this.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Also, shout out to Obelize, who has made writing this chapter so much easier with all their moral support.

The day that Zarkon arrived at the prison, the Resistance was ready for him. The preparations of the past few weeks were in place, ready for what would surely turn into a great battle for freedom. The leaders--Lance and Matt--had spent the last few nights going through contingencies with the group that had become akin to their generals. They were as ready as they would ever be. With their fighters in position, hidden from Zarkon’s sight, the next step was to fight. To fight for their freedom.

The prize fight for Zarkon’s entertainment was scheduled to take place that night, with Lance going up against some of the best fighters from both the prison and Zarkon’s personal guard. 

If all went well, the fight would never happen.

A few hours before Lance was to be brought out to the arena to fight in front of Zarkon, he and Matt were alerted that the entire Resistance was gathering in the cafeteria hall, waiting for them to arrive. The two looked at each other, confusion in their eyes as they hadn’t called for any sort of meeting. Still, they followed the two Galra Resistance members that had come to get them, Aikrie and Falkek following just a few steps behind.

Upon walking into the room, Lance was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the cafeteria. There were hundreds of prisoners and dozens of guards--strangely enough, sitting together peacefully. Lance was guided up to an area in the front of the room that was left clear and encouraged to sit in a large chair that was provided. Confused, he sat, his husband standing right next to him before more chairs were provided so that Matt, Aikrie, and Falkek may also sit.

One of the prisoners, who Lance recognized as one of few elders from strategy meetings, approached the young human leader.

“Lance, the Blue Paladin of Voltron, human and leader of the Resistance, you have done many great things...yet you do not push for greater power.”

“Of course not, you all have a choice. I’m fighting for your freedom to choose,” Lance asserted, his brow furrowing as he repeated something he had said many times before, his opinions on the matter clear. He had made sure to let the Resistance know that he supported their right to choose, even going so far as to assure them that he would never take away that choice, even if they chose to not help him.

“And together we have  _ chosen _ to name you our king, to lead us even after the battle against Zarkon. You have led us through so much already and we hope that you might continue to do so as you free others across the universe.”

Lance sucked in a breath. They wanted him to be a king? Their king? Being a leader was one thing, but a king was entirely different. He looked over to the side, locking eyes with Matt. His husband stared back at him, the steady gaze making Lance feel far more comfortable as Matt wordlessly assured him that he would have his husband’s support no matter what.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Lance turned his head away from Matt and back towards the elderly prisoner.  He calmed himself with a deep breath. This would be a decision that would affect him for the rest of his natural life. It would affect Matt, and it would affect Lance’s chance for a different future--a future away from this intergalactic war, a future where he could go back home and live like a normal Human. Yet, when he looked over the prisoners that filled the dingy and cramped cafeteria...his decision was made.

“If you want me to be your king, then I will be,” he decided.

Cheers erupted throughout the entire space, filling the cafeteria with more noise than Lance had heard in months. When a lull to the noise finally came about, a younger prisoner was motioned over. In their hands were two headpieces that looked like crowns.

The first was held up in front of Lance’s head, prompting him to bend his head down so that the crown might be placed upon his head, the blue jewels in it glistening in the light for all to see. The next headpiece, a circlet that reminded Lance of a fancier version of the one that Allura wore, was brought before Matt in the same manner and after he too bowed his head, was placed upon his head.

“To King Lance and Queen Matt, may they live long lives and rule fairly,” the elderly prisoner intoned, the words having a weight to them that caused Lance to wonder if there were some greater importance--something beyond what he had originally thought. He didn’t have long to ponder this, though, as the room quickly filled with celebration once more.

Reaching over, Lance took one of Matt’s hands in his own, squeezing it a little as he pulled his husband up with him as he got to his feet. Together, the King and Queen stood before the people who had given them power.

“I will do my best to make sure you never regret putting your trust in me,” Lance tells the crowd.

Next to him, Matt squeezes Lance’s hand before addressing his new subjects, “We both will.”

“For today, our focus will be the fight against Zarkon. He arrived this morning and we’re going to take advantage of his presence to take him down,” Lance laid out the plan clearly, answering any questions that came up in the large room. Not all of the prisoners were fighters, nor were all of them fighting that day, but it was best for everyone to know what was going on.

At the end of the meeting, all those who had gathered began to file out of the cafeteria, leaving the newly crowned king and queen with their cellmates and a few of the elders.

Looking at his husband, Matt addressed the group, “Well, we have a battle to win, don’t we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from Battle Cry by Imagine Dragons.
> 
> I think there's only one more chapter left! Still, writers block was kicking my butt with this chapter so the last one might be a while.  
> After that it's the final oneshots for The Death/Life of Blue.
> 
> I'm perfectly happy to take oneshot requests for the universe once this is all over though! I love this story and the universe I've created and would love to expand it.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


End file.
